Abstract
Novel methods for introducing chemical and biological functionality to the surface of gold nanoparticles serve to increase the utility of this class of nanomaterials across a range of applications. To date, methods for functionalising gold surfaces have relied upon uncontrollable non-specific adsorption, bespoke chemical linkers, or non-generalisable protein–protein interactions. Herein we report a versatile method for introducing functionality to gold nanoparticles by exploiting the strong interaction between chemically functionalised bovine serum albumin (f-BSA) and citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). We establish the generalisability of the method by introducing a variety of functionalities to gold nanoparticles using cheap, commercially available chemical linkers. The utility of this approach is further demonstrated through the conjugation of the monoclonal antibody Ontruzant to f-BSA–AuNPs using inverse electron-demand Diels–Alder (iEDDA) click chemistry, a hitherto unexplored chemistry for AuNP–IgG conjugation. Finally, we show that the AuNP–Ontruzant particles generated via f-BSA–AuNPs have a greater affinity for their target in a lateral flow format when compared to conventional physisorption, highlighting the potential of this technology for producing sensitive diagnostic tests.
Highlights
Over the last few decades nanomaterials have transitioned from academic curiosities to established research tools, finding use in applications ranging from clinically approved therapeutics and diagnostics,[1,2,3,4] through to emerging technologies such as tissue engineering and bioelectronics.[5,6] This high rate of adoption is a result of their unique optical, thermal, plasmonic, and electrical properties
We show that the AuNP–Ontruzant particles generated via f-bovine serum albumin (BSA)–AuNPs have a greater affinity for their target in a lateral flow format when compared to conventional physisorption, highlighting the potential of this technology for producing sensitive diagnostic tests
To test the premise that functionalised BSA is capable of adhering to the surface of gold nanoparticles, we designed a robust method for modifying the protein with an appropriate functional group
Summary
Over the last few decades nanomaterials have transitioned from academic curiosities to established research tools, finding use in applications ranging from clinically approved therapeutics and diagnostics,[1,2,3,4] through to emerging technologies such as tissue engineering and bioelectronics.[5,6] This high rate of adoption is a result of their unique optical, thermal, plasmonic, and electrical properties. The unique plasmonic properties of colloidal gold instil gold nanoparticles with remarkable optical density, allowing them to be visible with the naked eye at even sub-picomolar concentrations. This makes them ideal for both in vivo and in vitro diagnostics, and has led to a plethora of downstream nanomedical applications e.g., photothermal therapy.[8] Gold nanoparticles are easy to produce, even on a large scale,[9] for a relatively low cost. These hindrances can be minimised through surface modification of gold nanoparticles via chemical or biological methods.[11,12]
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